1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with a shorting terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector with a shorting terminal is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-176522. This known connector has mateable male and female connector housings. A plurality of female terminal fittings and a shorting terminal are provided in the female housing. The shorting terminal is formed with terminal contacts that establish a shorting contact with the female terminal fittings when the housings are not mated. The terminal contacts of the shorting terminal are configured to contact the female terminal fittings in a direction substantially normal to a connecting direction of the housings. Receiving pieces are located immediately forward of the terminal contacts and project in a direction oblique to the connecting direction of the housings. A pushing portion projects forward from the front end of the male housing and contacts the receiving pieces during connection of the housings to incline the receiving pieces and to deform the shorting terminal resiliently in a direction substantially normal to the connecting direction of the housings. Thus, the terminal contacts are disengaged from the female terminal fittings as the shorting terminal is deformed, and the shorted state of the female terminal fittings is cancelled.
The receiving pieces of the above-described connector may be deformed inadvertently and may lose their guiding function if the forwardly-projecting pushing portion and the receiving pieces get caught with each other. Thus, the shorting terminal will not be deformed resiliently in the direction normal to the connecting direction of the housings. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the shorted state of the female terminal fittings may not be cancelled and the shorting terminal may be rendered unusable.
In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that securely resiliently deforms a shorting terminal.
The invention is directed to a connector with first and second connector housings that are connectable with each other. Terminal fittings and a shorting terminal are provided in the first connector housing. The shorting terminal normally is held in shorting contact with the terminal fittings. A pushing portion is provided in the second connector housing and has a slanted surface aligned oblique to the connecting direction of the connector housings. The pushing portion deforms the shorting terminal resiliently or elastically away from the terminal fittings by contacting the shorting terminal during connection of the connector housings.
The slanted surface of the pushing portion is difficult to deform. Accordingly, the pushing portion can deform the shorting terminal without losing a guiding function of the slanted surface even if the pushing portion and the shorting terminal get caught with each other at their contact portions.
The second connector housing preferably is formed with a pressing surface that is substantially continuous with the pushing portion and substantially parallel with the connecting direction of the connector housings. The shorting terminal is held in contact with the pressing surface when the connector housings are connected with each other to restrict displacement of the shorting terminal toward the terminal fittings.
The alignment of the pressing surface parallel to the connecting direction of the housings restricts the approach of the shorting terminal toward the terminal fittings, and hence the shorting terminal is held in contact with the pressing surface. Thus, the degree of resilient deformation of the shorting terminal becomes constant even if the depth of connection of the housings varies. Consequently, the spacing between the shorting terminal and the terminal fittings becomes constant. In contrast, the degree of resilient deformation of the shorting terminal would vary with depth of connection of the housings if the shorting terminal was brought the into contact with a surface oblique to the connecting direction of the housings. In that situation, the space between the shorting terminal and the terminal fittings cannot be constant.
Receiving pieces preferably are formed at the leading end of the shorting terminal. The receiving pieces are oblique to the connecting direction of the connector housings and can come into sliding contact with the slanted surface of the pushing portion during connection of the connector housings. The slanted surface of the pushing portion and the obliquely aligned receiving pieces of the shorting terminal slide smoothly over each other without getting caught. Therefore, the shorting terminal can undergo a smooth resilient deformation.
The receiving pieces preferably have substantially the same inclination as the slanted surface before the shorting terminal contacts the pushing portion.
The shorting terminal may comprise a plurality of resilient contact pieces folded back from a main section to extend towards the terminal fittings.
The resilient contact pieces each may comprise an angled terminal contact portion, an extending portion that extends forward from the front end of the terminal contact portion and/or a receiving piece that extends oblique to the connecting direction of the housings from the front end of the extending portion.
The first connector housing preferably comprises a receptacle in which the second connector housing is insertable. A portion of the receptacle and the pushing portion define a space into which the shorting terminal is insertable when the connector housings are connected with each other.
The pushing portion preferably is provided on the second connector housing by means of a recess on an outer surface of the second connector housing.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.